Calculating machine



Sept. 29, 1936. R. MULLER 2,055,552

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1935 INVENTOR l ATTORNEYS PatentedSept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES CALCULATING MACHINE Robert L. Muller,Detroit, Mich., assignor to Burroughs Adding Machine Company, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 22, 1935, Serial No.17,627

13 Claims.

This invention relates to paper feeding equipment for calculatingmachines, more particularly to a front feed mechanism therefor.

In certain types of calculating machines such as the BurroughsMoon-Hopkins billing machine it is desirable simultaneously to print aplurality of sheets such as a record or journal sheet, a ledger sheet,and a bill or statement together with such other copies as may benecessary in the particular accounting system used. These individualsheets and accompanying papers often, if not usually, differ as tolength and width from the record sheet and therefore require paperequipment peculiarly adapted to handle them.

It is desirable, if not necessary, to have some simple and easy way offeeding the sheets into the machine and aligning them both with respectto the record sheet and with respect to the additional individualsheets. The aligning or collating of the additional sheets must be donewithout disturbing the record sheet on which the individual entriesshould be listed in proper spaced relationship.

The general object of this invention is to provide an improved feedingequipment which permits ready insertion and alignment of the papers in acalculating machine.

A further object is to provide means whereby the aligning of the papersmay be accomplished without the use of special indicating or collatingmarks.

Another object is to provide a paper feed and aligning equipment bymeans of which sheets can be inserted from the front of the machine andaligned while in substantially vertical position with the printedentries thereon visible to the operator.

Other objects and resultant advantages will be apparent from theforegoing description and drawing which discloses one illustrativeembodiment of the invention, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective viewof the paper carriage and associated parts with certain elements cutaway to show the aligning table which has been moved into aligningposition adjacent the platen, and

Fig. 2 is a right side sectional view taken approximately through thecenter of the paper carriage of a Burroughs Moon-Hopkins machine havingthe present invention applied thereto and illustrating the machine withthe platen in print ing position, and with the platen tilted back out ofprinting position and into front feed position in dot dash line and withthe front feed and aligning table in horizontal position ready toreceive one or more sheets or cards from the front of the machine.

The present invention is shown applied to a Burroughs Moon-Hopkinsbilling machine of the type shown in the Hopkins Patent 1,336,904 and isan improvement of the front feed'and aligning mechanism shown anddescribed in the Muller Patent 1,774,287.

In the latter patent there is shown an aligning table at the front ofthe paper carriage. The table is normally positioned horizontally andthe ledger may be inserted from the front, bottom end foremost andprinting down, under the platen and between the platen and the feedrolls when the latter is in open front feed position. Alignment of theledger sheets is obtained by means of collating marks on the back of thesheets, it being understood, of course, that the sheets are insertedwith the printing record down.

The transactions entered upon the ledger sheets do not always extend tothe margin thereof and the last printed iterns thereon do not alwaysappear close to the right hand margin of the forms. For this reason, andothers, it is sometimes desirable to be able to align these sheets withthe full printed record visible. The present invention makes thispossible in that the operator may align the ledger sheets with thelatter in full view and with the entire record thereon facing forwardand visible to the operator.

Referring to the drawing, the upper portion of the machine frame i (Fig.2) supports transverse guides 2 and having raceways in their up peredges for receiving ball bearings 3 upon which guides 4 of thetravelling paper carriage travel. Secured to the guides 4 and the endplates 5 (Fig. 2) of the paper carriage which is stepped across themachine transversely on the guides, a platen feeding mechanism (notshown) is also provided for automatically advancing the platen in themanner shown and described in the foregoing Hopkins and the Mullerpatents to which reference is made for details of construction.

The carriage supports a platen P journaled on a shaft ill, carried byside plates H, (Fig. 1) pivoted on a shaft l2, connected by links 13 toa shaft l4, journaled in the side plates 5. This mounting permits theplaten to be swung forward and upwardly by means of a handle I 5(Fig. 1) from the position shown in full lines Fig. 2, to the positionshown in Fig. 1, and in dot dash lines Fig. 2; That is, the platen maybe swung from the full line printing position Fig. 2, to front fee-dposition Fig. 1. When in raised position the platen is retained untilreleased by stud. l6, engaging in a notch IT, in end plates I8 carriedby the carriage frame 5. When raised the carriage exposes the printingline on the platen so that the printed record may be observed by theoperator and also permits front feed insertion of the desired additionalforms or sheets.

The record or journal sheet J is fed under the platen from the rear asillustrated in Fig. 1, passed around the platen under spring guide bands23, which hold the journal sheet in position. Although the drawing showsonly one record sheet or journal sheet and it is understood that anydesired number may be used and the necessary carbon sheets will be usedwhen more than one journal sheet is used. The bands 23 serve to retainthe journal sheet about the platen when it is moved to front feedposition and while additional sheets are inserted and removed for theprinting of individual transactions as will later be explained.

The sheets are held in engagement with the platen for line spacing byfeed or pressure rolls 30, which hold the journal sheet or sheets incontact with the platen as it is rotated step by step during operationof the machine. These rolls also constitute a front feed means forreceiving and holding the work sheet or sheets in front feed positionrelative to the platen and are movable from closed to open throatposition and vice versa. The rollers are carried by a shaft 3| supportedin movable plates 32, carried by a cross shaft 33. The left plate 32 hasan operating handle or finger piece 34 by means of which the feedrollers are moved into and out of engagement with the platen, that is,from closed to open throat position. Depression of finger piece 34causes the plates 32 to rock counterclockwise to move the rollers awayfrom the platen. A handle and the rollers may be latched in open throatposition away from the platen by a latch which may be released to permitthe rollers to grip the papersby moving the finger piece 35 thereofrelatively to the finger piece 34. Printing is accomplished by means oftype actuated in the usual manner by means (not shown). The foregoingconstruction is substantially the same as that shown in the MullerPatent 1,774,287 to which reference is made for further details.

.As previously stated, it is desirable at times to feed one or moreseparate ledger or work sheets into the machine from the front andaccordingly provisions must be made to receive and align these separatework sheets. This invention provides for this and. furthermore, makes itpossible to align the separate sheets while they are in a substantiallyvertical position with the printed record thereon facing the front andin full vision of the operator.

For this purpose a combined paper table or chute and line finder isprovidedwhich is swingable and tiltable from a substantially horizontalfront feed sheet receiving position to an inclined aligning and linefinding position with the rear edge above the front edge and inproximityto the platen thereof. In this latter position the sheet or sheetsthereon may be aligned after which the table is returned to horizontalposition,

which position it occupies during printing operations. I

A movable table 4| extends substantially the full width of the carriageand is supported at its forward edge by a link 42 at each'end thereof,the lower ends of which are rigidly secured to a cross shaft 43supported by a stationary table 44 at the front of the paper carriage.The rear of the table is supported by a link 46 at each end thereof, thelatter links being considerably longer than the-front links 42. Fromthis it can be seen that the table is pivotally movable about its twolinks at each end from a. substantially horizontal front feed sheetsupporting position (Fig. 2) to an inclined aligning or line findingposition with the rear edge raised and in close proximity-to the platen(Fig. 1). The table is the table is in rearward or line findingposition.

These rollers perform two functions. First, they 'maintain the rearwardedge of the table and guides properly spaced from the platen so as topermit adjustment of the record sheets and, second, cause retraction ofthe table to horizontal position as the platen is returned to printingposition.

To assist in guiding and aligning the papers, the tilting table isprovided with side paper guides 5|, the rearward edges of which extendslightly beyond the rear edge of the table and constitute a line findinggauge for aligning the sheets when the table is in inclined position andwith the feed rolls still in open or front feed position.

An additional center guide 52 (Fig. 1) may also be provided to assist inline finding in those cases where the printed record does not extend tothe margins of the record sheets. Any desired number of guides can beemployed and they may be adjusted longitudinally of the tilting table tosuit various widths of papers.

The tilting table and line finder is normally urged to horizontalposition by a spring 53 one end of which is secured to the table and theother end of which is secured to the stationary table but the table islatched in raised or aligning position after being manually moved tosuch position by a latch 54, pivotally carried by a bracket 56, securedto the under side of the tilting table 4] and normally urgedcounterclockwise by spring 51. When the table is in raised position,latch 54 engages a stud 58 carried by the stationary table tion byengagement of the rolls '49, the positive movement of the table willforce latch 54 to yield against the action of spring 51 until it clearsstud 58 after which spring 53 will retract the tilting table tohorizontal position. It will be understood, of course, that immediatelyafter the sheets are aligned, feed rolls 30 will be released to grip allof the sheets prior toreturn of the platen to printing position, thusretaining the sheets in aligned position as they are re'tumed toprinting position.

In machines of this character, particularly where a plurality of sheetsare typed at one time,

the type hammers (not shown) must be adjusted v to give a sufiicientblow to cause clear cut printing through the several sheets. For thisreason,

it is desirable to provide a positive lock for the platen when it is inprinting position to prevent raising thereof during printing.Furthermore, it is desired'to provide a lock which is operable toprevent raising of the platen, but which is replaten to front feedposition tofirst move the platen slightly forward to clear the pawl andthen upwardly to raised position. Upon returning the platen to printingposition it is not necessary to impart any particular movement to theplaten to get the shaft thereof under the pawl, because the pawl willswing about its pivot against the action of spring 62 and permit rapidreturn of the platen.

It is believed that the operation of the machine will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing description particularly when taken inconnection with the previously mentioned patents. Therefore, theoperation of the machine will merely be summarized. When a form is to beinserted, the platen P is moved upward from the full line position ofFig. 2 to the full line positioirof Fig. 1 or (dot dash position of Fig.2). Simultaneously the feed rolls are opened by manual depression of thelever 34. The additional form or forms to be front fed are placed uponthe table 4 I, while in its horizontal position, and are insertedrearward beneath the platen and between the platen and feed rolls. Theoperator then moves the tilting table rearward to its inclined positionuntil it is latched. Because of the linkage, the rear edge is raisedabove the front edge to line finding position. The rear edge of thetable and the guides cause the additional paper sheets to be formedaround the platen with the upper edges thereof raised to substantiallyvertical position. The rear edges of the paper guides not only serve tohold the paper in vertical position but act, as line finders foraligning the sheets to correct printing position. Inasmuch as the tableis held in raised position both hands of the operator are free for rapidalignment of the front fed sheets. After the sheets have been alignedthe feed rolls are released by manipulation of latch 35 to grip all ofthe sheets about the platen after which the platen is lowered toprinting position by use of handle l5. The lowering of the platen alsoreturns or lowers the tilting table to horizontal or sheet receivingposition.

After the desired entries have been made, the platen may be raised, thefeed rolls released, the forward sheets removed while the journal sheetis held in place after which additional sheets may be insertedover thetilting table which is in horizontal position because of itsindependence of the platen.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the inventionprovides a combined front feedtable and line finder which not onlypermits but induces rapid insertion and alignment of front feed sheets.This desirability is obtained in part at least because of the simplicityof construction, such as the straight/and single edge against which thesheets may be aligned and which permits full visibility above and belowthe printed line, and because of the operation, which is whollyindependent of any movement of the platen.

The invention is also particularly well adapted for systems in which twoforms are precollated, that is, in which a ledger and statement aresimultaneously posted. In such systems the sheets are usuallyprecollated before inserting them into the carriage and the presentconstruction is such that they may be held in precollated position bythe operator while being inserted until the outerform is aligned toproper position. It will be apparent that with the present inventionthere is nothing in the way above the printing line to obstruct theoperator in inserting the duplicate forms. Furthermore, when postinglists in vertical columns, it is frequently desired to align accordingto figures in different columns. The provision of the separateadjustable guides is particularly well adapted for this type of posting.Other advantages resulting from the foregoing construction will beapparent to those skilled in the art to whom it will also be clear thatchanges in the details of construction may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. Afront feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a. printing line, a platen movablefrom printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a frontfeed position and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving andholding a work sheet in front feed position relative to said platen,said front feed means being movable from a closed to an open throatposition and vice versa, a combination front feed paper table and linefinder in front of said platen, said table being operable, when insheet-receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen andinto said open front feed throat, while the platen is in front feedposition and being movable independently of movements of said platen andas the'latter is in front feed position, to a line finding position withits rear edge above its forward edge and in proximity to saidplaten,'line feeding means on the rear of said table for enabling a worksheet to be aligned with respect to the printingline, means for closingsaid front feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, andmeans for moving said front feed table to sheet receiving position.

2. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table and line finder infront of said platen, said table being pivoted adjacent its rear andforward ends for swinging and tilting movement and being operable, whenin sheet receiving position, to guide a work sheet under said platen andinto said open front feed throat, while the platen is in front feedposition and being movable independently of movements of said platen andas the latter is in front feed position, to a line finding position withits rear edge above its forward edge and in proximity to said platen,line finding means on the rear of said table for enabling a work sheetto be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closing saidfront feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and meansfor moving said front feed table to sheet receiving position.

3. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to .print along a printing line, a platen movablefrom printing position relative to said printing mechanism to a frontfeed position and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving andholding a work sheet in front feed position relative to said platen,said front feed means being movable from a closed to an open throatposition and vice versa, a combination front feed paper table and linefinder in front of said platen, links piving movements, said table beingoperable, when in sheet receiving position, to guide a work sheet undersaid platen and into said open front feed throat, while the platen is infront feed position and being movable independently of movements of saidplaten and as the latter is in front feed position, to a line findingposition with its rear edge above its forward edge and in proximity tosaid platen, a line gauge on the rear of said table for enabling a worksheet to be aligned with respect to the printing line, means for closingsaid front feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, andmeans for moving said front feed table to sheet receiving position.

4. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanlsm to a front feedposition and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table and line finder infront of said platen, said table being operable, when in sheet receivingposition, to guide a work sheet under said platen and into said openfront feed throat, while the platen is in front feed position and beingmovable independently of movements of said platen and as the latter isin front feed position, to a line finding position with its rear edgeabove its forward edge and in proximity to said platen, a line gauge onthe rear of said table for enabling a work sheet to be aligned withrespect to the printing line, means for closing said front feed throatand moving said platen to printing position, and means automaticallymoving said front feed table to sheet receiving position as the platenis moved to printing position.

5. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print alonga printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table and line finder infront of said platen, means pivotallyv connecting said table at twospaced points thereof to the machine for swinging and tilting movement,said table being operable, when in' sheet receiving position, to guide awork sheet under said platen and into said open front feed throat,

- while the platen is in front feed position and being movableindependently of movements of said platen and as the latter is in frontfeed position, to a line finding position with its rear edge above itsforward edge and in proximity to said platen, a line gauge on the rearof 'said table for enabling a work sheet to be alignedwith respect tothe printing line, means for closing said front feed throat and movingsaid platen to printing position, and means automatically moving saidfront feed table to sheet receiving position as the platen is moved toprinting position.

6. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, a front-feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table and line finder infront of saidplaten, means pivotally connecting said table at two spacedpoints thereof to said machine for swinging and tilting movement fromhorizontal position to inclined position in close proximity to saidplaten, said table being operable when in horizontal position to receiveand guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front feedthroat while the platen is in front feed position and being movableindependently of movements of said platen and as the latter is in frontfeed position, to said inclined line finding position with its rear edgeabove its forward edge and in close proximity to said platen, a linegauge on the rear of said table for enabling a work sheet to be alignedwith respect to the printing line, means for closing said front feedthroat and moving said platen to printing position, and means for movingsaid 7 front feed table to sheet receiving position.

7. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted toprint along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, a front feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table and line finder infront of said platen, means pivotally connecting said table at twospaced points thereof to said machine for swinging and tilting movementfrom horizontal position to inclined position in close proximity to saidplaten, said table being operable when in horizontal position to receiveand guide a work sheet under said platen and into said open front feedthroat, while the platen is in front feed position and being movableindependently of movements of said platen and as the latter is in frontfeed position, to said inclined line finding position with its rear edgeabove its forward edge and in close proximity to said platen, means onthe rear of said table for aligning a work sheet with respect to theprinting line, means for closing said front feed throat and moving saidplaten to printing position, and means automatically moving said frontfeed table to sheet receiving position as the platen is moved toprinting position.

8. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, a fron feed means for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed means being movable from a closed to an open throat position andvice versa, a combination front feed paper table, and line finder infront of said platen, means pivotally connecting said table at twospaced points a front feed means for receiving and holding a Work sheetin front feed position relative to said platen, said front feed meansbeing movable from a closed to an open throat position and vice versa, acombination front feed paper table and line finder in front of saidplaten, means pivotally connecting said table at two spacedpoints'thereof to said machine for swinging and tilting movement fromhorizontal position to inclined position in close proximity to saidplaten, said table being movable to either position independently ofmovements of said platen and being operable, when in horizontal positionto receive and guide a work sheet under said platen and into said openfront feed throat, while the platen is in front feed position and beingoperable when in inclined position with the platen in front feedposition, to serve as a line finder with its rear edge above its forwardedge and in proximity to said platen, a line gauge on the rear edge ofsaid table for enabling a work sheet to be aligned with respect to theprinting line, means for closing said front feed throat and moving saidplaten to printing position, and means automatically moving said frontfeed table to sheet receiving position, as the platen is moved toprinting position.

10. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a traveling carriage,a platen, carried by said carriage, movable from printing positionrelative to said printing mechanism to a front feed position and viceversa, a front feed means forreceiving and holding a work sheet in frontfeed position relative to said platen, said front feed means beingmovable from a closed to an open throat position and vice versa, acombination front feed paper table and line finder, carried by saidcarriage, in front of said platen, means pivotally connecting said tableat two spaced points thereof to said machine for swinging and tiltingmovement from horizontal position to' inclined position in closeproximity to said platen, said table being movable to either positionindependently of movements of .said platen and being operable, when inhorizontal position to receive and guide a work sheet under said platenand into said open front feed throat, while the platen is in front feedposition and being operable when in inclined position with the platen infront feed position,- to serve as a line finder with its rear edge aboveits forward edge and in proximity to said platen, means on the rear ofsaid table for aligning a work sheet with respect to the printing line,means for closing said front feed throat and moving said platen toprinting position, and means automatically moving said front feed tableto sheet receiving position, as the platen is moved to printingposition.

11. A front feed machine of the class described having a printingmechanism, adapted to print along a printing line, a platen movable fromprinting position relative to said printing mechanism to a front feedposition and vice versa, front feed rolls for receiving and holding awork sheet in front feed position relative to said platen, said frontfeed rolls being movable with said platen from printing position tofront feed position and vice versa and being movable from a closed to anopen throat position and vice versa, a combination front feed papertable and line finder in front of said platen, means pivotallyconnecting said table at two spaced points thereof to said machine forswinging and tilting movement from a horizontal position to an inclinedposition in close proximity to said platen, said table being operablewhen in horizontal position to receive and guide a work sheet under saidplaten and into said open front feed throat, while the platen is infront feed position and being movable independently of movements of saidplaten when the latter is in front feed position, to inclined linefinding position with its rear edge above its forward edge and inproximity to said platen, means on the rear of said table for aligning awork sheet with respect to the printing line, means for closing saidfront feed throat and moving said platen to printing position, and meansautomatically moving said front feed table to sheet receiving positionas the platen is moved to print- 7 ing position.

12. A front-feed machine of the class described having a platen,front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fedposition relative to said platen, said front-feed means being movablefrom a closed to an open-throat position and vice versa, a front-feedpaper chute normally occupying a sheet-receiving position in which it isoperable to guide a work sheet into said front-feed throat while it isopen, said chute being mounted so that it is movable to cause its rearedge to loosely engage said work sheet and move the latter about saidplaten with the upper end of said sheet in position to make the frontside thereof clearly visible, and to a position in which the rear edgeof said chute forms a line finding means, and means operable to closesaid front-feed throat and to cause said chute to be automaticallyreturned to sheet-receiving position.

13. A front-feed machine of the class described having a platen,front-feed means for receiving and holding a work sheet in front-fedposition relative to said platen, said front-feedmeansbeing movable fromclosed to open-throat position am vice versa, a front-feed paper chutenormally occupying a sheet-receiving position in which it is operable toguide a work sheet into said frontfeed throat while the latter is open,said chute being mounted so that it may be moved to a position to causethe rear edge to loosely engage said work sheet and move it about saidplaten to make the front side of said sheet clearly visible, and to aposition in which the rear edge of said chute is adjacent said worksheet with the front portion of said chute lower than the rear wherebythe rear edge forms a line finding means and whereby the body of saidchute is out of the line of vision to said work sheet, and meansoperable to close said f ont-feed throat and to automatically cause saidchute to be returned to sheet receiving position.

ROBERT L. MULLER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,055,552. September 29,1936.

ROBERT L. MULLER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 5,second column, line 28, claim 1, for the word "feeding" read finding;and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correctiontherein that the same may conform to the record oi the case in thePatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 8th day oi December, A. D. 1936.

Henry Van Arsdale (seal) "A t ng mmissi ne o Paten s,

